Twilight Starlight World Alight
The Bay Area Blues Book 5
by Kay C. Beerman
Genre: Romantic Suspense
2022 Independent Press Award Winner, 2021 NYC Big Book Award Winner –
Abby Stevens, a vibrant tech worker, resides comfortably in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her cool life is suddenly toppled over when someone starts threatening her for unknown reasons. Instead of brooding, kick-ass Abby decides to find the truth that lies beneath.
Dazzling FBI division assistant director David Harp, also a cyber expert, has the mother of all loads of trouble on his hands, including his girlfriend Abby who abruptly declares she’s leaving him, and he doesn’t understand why.
Meanwhile, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division sends a top agent to investigate a suspected money laundering case in Silicon Valley, CA, after one undercover operative goes missing.
At the same time, the NSA and FBI have intercepted a suspicious electronic message that could be a communication between an infamous dark website and terrorist-wannabes. As the FBI tackles the situation, a mysterious explosion sends the IRS investigation spinning in another direction, colliding with the FBI’s case. It quickly ups the ante when Abby faces unforeseen jeopardy. David has to decode the encrypted message ASAP to foil mass destruction and save her in time. Can he also win back her love?
She looked down at the letter in her hand. It was a plain white envelope with a pretty hibiscus stamp, and it clearly read, Attn: Abby Stevens above Google’s address in type. The postmark on the front was faded and unreadable, with no sender’s name or address. She held it up, trying to look through the inside under the light. She couldn’t see anything. It must be a security envelope.
She scoured through her desk drawer to find her paper knife. She hadn’t used it in years. “Aha.”
“Let’s see…” She incised the envelope carefully, trying not to cut too deep, or she might cut the letter inside.
It was like opening a treasure trove unearthed from an archeological site.
She pulled a piece of fancy letter paper out of the envelope and unfolded it.
Her eyes glued to the letter, she froze.
Dearest Abb,
How have you been? Hope this letter finds you well.
I miss you. Maybe we can get together sometime.
Do you know a secret behind the memories?
R.S.
“Who the hell wrote such a letter?” she mumbled, but she could guess who might’ve done it.
R.S. must be Ryan Stewart, her ex-fiancé. His signature had always been just initials.
Or someone who knew her past could’ve played a prank on her. But who? And why?
First of all, no one around her now had any knowledge of him except for her family and close friends. However, since it was the social media era, nobody had any actual privacy.
I miss you. Ooh, that was creepy. Maybe we can get together sometime. Nope, not gonna happen.
Then the last line in the letter. Do you know a secret behind the memories?
What the hell did it mean by a secret behind the memories? What secret? What memories? The memory of their disastrous relationship? The memory that she’d wanted to rub out? Was it a stupid example of failed rhetoric? Yup, he hadn’t even been able to write a small grocery list correctly.
Last time she’d checked on Facebook three years ago, he’d lived in Oregon. But who knew where he lived now? It could be on Mars.
She wished Mia wasn’t on vacation enjoying time in her sweet hometown, San Diego, surfing like hell. If she was here, Abby could’ve complained and ranted at her about the douchebag who’d had the nerve to send her this spooky letter.
She decided to ignore it and take it home, not discarding it at work. Even shredding it in the office seemed too embarrassing.
It was weird how sometimes, out of the blue, old wounds throbbed.
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Kay C. Beerman is an award-winning author of Romantic Mystery/Suspense.
She has worked in Medicine and Foreign Affairs. Her stories are mostly about detectives, agents and medical examiners based upon her education and experiences.
The series The Bay Area Blues is about people dedicated to protect and to serve in the San Francisco Bay Area.
When she has extra time, she often likes to read and watch anything relevant to nature, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. However, right now, she is extremely interested in finding beautiful photos of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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